This is the first clip I've ever posted on this site. It also happens to be the first clip I've had to make from rehearsal footage. I attend 99% of the rehearsals, but this client wanted it taped. The camera work is more relaxed and not so stiff. They even mentioned ahead of time that they want it to look loose like something a relative would shoot but with the quality of a better camera. So here it is... critique away.

By the way, the time remap at the end was done with Twixtor - I love that plug-in, although it's slow and eats all my CPU power when rendering. And I already know the moving camera shots are sloppy; I'm trying to get better at it.

My first comment would be for you to start under-exposing your shots. I found my eyes forced to search for the subject of the shot because of the extreme latitude between black and white. As a viewer, I need to see the subject of any shot immediately. If you are using auto-exposure, this can get a bit tricky as you need to figure out just how your camera's exposure system works..that is, how much of the frame is actually measured and which portion of the image receives the emphasis. This is important because you really can't be worring about exposure settings when unrepeatable events are happening in front of your eyes. In any case, I would do some experimenting on setting your camera to under expose between -2/3 to - 1 1/2 stops. With video one can, in post, expose details hidden in under exposed shots that would be otherwise lost in over exposed shots. The reverse, I'm told, is the norm with film.

Second, try to limit the use of zooming in/out in your finished product. In most situations the zoom lens is used to frame a subject, not be a part of the finished feature. Unless carefully managed the change in focal length shifts focus of the viewer's attention from the subject to the camera, which usually fractures the sense of continuity not only within a video sequence, but between video sequences. As an example, look at your favorite commercial DVD movie in slow motion, frame-by-frame mode. Look at the introductory sequences and pick a one or two minute time frame. It will be quite a learning experience. There are times when a zoom in or out makes extraordinary visual sense, but most of the time it does not make visual sense. Think of the focal length change as a special effect. Special effects give power and impact if they are judiciously used. Any other use simply calls attention to the effect and contributes nothing to the linear progression of events. Any time the camera calls attention to itself the whole reason for making the feature is lost.

Third, take a close and very self-critical look at the camera angles you chose for every shot you made during the event. Go back to original footage. Ask youself how you could have found a better angle to give the shot more impact. This exercise is, I feel, is the best teaching tool there is. I can't tell you the number of times I have beat myself up in this regard. I have yet to give myself more than a "C" at best. After avoiding the footage for a few months I find I can give myself a better grade, but I always seem to find something I feel could have been done in a more useful way.

Fourth, do not forget that everything you capture in a live event video situation cannot be re-staged. You have one opportunity. Do the best you can, because you will only get better.

Fifth, endeavor to stuff as much knowledge as you can into your brain because it all somehow filters to the subconsious of your mind, and that is where all of the really crisp creative things happen.

I admit I'm always nervous putting video clips up for other videographers to critique. But I'm showing another one because I need the opinions. This next clip is a love story shoot. I feel the flow of the story went very well. Because of constraints we were limited to one location, and 1 hour of shooting time. I would have like to get more "every day" footage of them, but you can't always have the perfect shoot, I guess.

Please provide feedback; I need it. Oh, and thanks to the video hijackers out there I blatantly slapped my name on the video - big, too. It's hard to look past and gets in the way but I'm tired of people taking my clips and covering up my name with theirs.

Oh, and thanks to the video hijackers out there I blatantly slapped my name on the video - big, too. It's hard to look past and gets in the way but I'm tired of people taking my clips and covering up my name with theirs.

the best way to cut this down is to post somewhere that is passworded. I'm sure this has happened to me, so I'm reminded to take precausions as well. If you know the name of the outfit that took the video, I would take video of where they have it posted and then sue thier hindquarters in civil court.

Thanks for the tip, Steven. I probably exaggerated the watermark a bit, and will cut it down today. So if anyone is watching the video with a big watermark centered on the bottom then it stops playing or whatever... re-load it because that means I flipped the files over midstream. Thanks.

-Michael

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